There’s just one thing you need to know about drafting:
It should be faster and easier than you think.
We run into problems when we try to make our first draft our last draft. That may sound efficient, but in fact it’s an enormous waste of time, energy, and the most precious commodity of all – self-confidence.
When you strive for “once and done,” you’re combining three steps of the 5-step writing process:
2. Draft
3. Revise
4. Edit
Drafting should be a fast, messy process. You just need to get stuff written down. You’ll evaluate and manipulate that stuff in steps 3 and 4.
When drafting, do:
- Start in the middle: with your findings, main point, or whatever is most interesting.
- Write quickly.
- Leave holes.
- Make mistakes.
- Refer to your research notes and outline only if you get stuck.
When drafting, don’t:
- Begin with the introduction. If you must begin at the beginning, at least don’t spend much time on it. (It will change. Not “may,” “will.”)
- Stop to look up a fact, expert opinion, or finding. Just note where the missing bit goes and keep drafting.
- Evaluate. That’s step 3.
- Worry about grammar, spelling, or word choice. That’s step 4.
In step 2, you think about your material.
In step 3, you think about your audience. When you do, you’ll find sentences and paragraphs that don’t help to get your point across. You’ll have an easier time chopping them if you haven’t spent much time drafting them.
The less you invest in every word, the easier it is to whip all your words in line to serve the reader. We’ll start there next time.
If drafting quickly without judgment sounds difficult – impossible? – please tell me why. Responses will be fodder for a future newsletter!